Vancouver Coal Company
As part of the Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative, we’ve digitized a small selection of inquests and inquiries from 1872 to 1934, found in series GR-0431. These were chosen to reflect the experiences of early Chinese immigrants to B.C. – their living and working conditions, and their unfortunate accidental or unusual deaths. They range from a woman working in a brothel in Barkerville who died of natural causes to three sawmill workers who died from malnutrition. Learn more.
*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person.
*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum. Some materials may contain content that is racist, sexist or otherwise offensive. The Royal BC Museum is only the custodian of archival materials; the content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Royal BC Museum.
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Dick
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and would require a person to watch it. I was [?down] immediately after the explosion. There were some loose timbers in the shaft I found the boxes piled up at the bottom. Then I could see the fire starting at the engine house. I saw Mr Rohms and then went up to the no 2 shaft. Saw 2 or 3 men there – went to no 1 level but could not get in far. They commenced carrying helmets to get at the fire. To Coronier Walkem – Did not go up to the end of the lagging in the diagonal this morning but to the lower level. Have visited the mine several times this year. Have gone through the old [?workings] Have frequently told the miners that if any thing was not right to send word to me and I would attend to it and nobody would be the wiser as to who gave the information. I never received any complaints from the men in that shaft. The Mr Hugo (Juryman) I believe from Griffiths evidence that there was gas above the lagging at the end of the unfinished cross cut on the morning of May 3rd. He mentioned it and I have no reason to doubt his word. I did not say that there was a lodgment for gas but that air could travel over it. I study up the results of scientific mines [?] but it is not part of my duty to do so. It is not mentioned in the mining [?such] and as part of my duty. Had I [?dried] the dust in this mine dangerous I would have made it my business to have told the manager and have it made safe. Anything which I thought dangerous to anyone I would notify them of. In my judgment I had no occasion to call the attention